Stallion – From The Dead

“From The Dead” is the second full-length release by German speed metal band Stallion. The group quickly made a lot of noise with their “Mounting the World” EP in 2013 and subsequent full length the next year. Though it has been a few years since then, Stallion is back and just as good as ever. Upon first impression however, this album might feel a bit different. The lead track, “Underground Society” shows the band taking a much darker, thrashier direction. This is certainly the heaviest song they’ve done to date, and while lead vocalist Pauly’s vocals remain as high-pitched as ever on this record, he has more of a snarl on this particular track.

It isn’t long before the band returns to their more familiar sound, but interestingly, they spend a few tracks in mid-paced territory before reverting to high-velocity speed metal. Each of the next three songs, “Down And Out”, “Hold The Line”, and “Waiting For A Sign” are not particularly fast (except for the occasional moment where things speed up, such as the second half of “Down and Out”), but Stallion are adept at writing catchy fist-banging anthems. These tracks offer an opportunity for Pauly to shine once again. His voice remains in the stratosphere, as he hits notes that nobody has any business hitting (and he uses this range almost exclusively). These tracks also demonstrate Stallion’s ability to create truly memorable simplistic riffs. Unlike many of their contemporaries, Stallion’s less involved riffs bring back the glory of NWOBHM and other early 1980s bands. The result is a classic sound that is anything but boring, despite the tamer tempos. 

From this point onwards, the record becomes more in line with “Rise and Ride”, as the band offers up plenty of faster tunes, with the more occasional slower moment as a break. These later songs reveal that Stallion’s shredders can compete with the best of them, as they unleash numerous solos containing intricate fretwork. “From The Dead” as a whole is pretty faithful to the band’s sound outside of the opener. The main problem is its unevenness as a record. Even after the three mid-paced tune, the title track kicks off with an acoustic intro, and then the following song is the 17-second “Kill Fascists”. The result is an album that does everything right, but feels a bit off. Of course, this is just the flow of the album; the songs themselves are all fantastic, and that is ultimately what matters most. This makes Stallion’s “From The Dead” another essential purchase for all fans of speed metal!

Be sure to check out and like Stallion on Facebook!

Highlights

"Underground Society"

"Down and Out"

"Waiting For A Sign"

Final Rating

4.25/5 or 85%. 

Written by Scott

Stallion – Rise and Ride

Stallion burst onto the scene in 2013 with their first two-track demo, which was an energetic ode to riffs and speed. Not unlike Canadian speed metallers Skull Fist, Stallion is one of those bands that just oozes metal. For that reason, their first full-length album, “Rise and Ride”, was incredibly anticipated for me (unfortunately High Roller Records doesn’t have the best North American distribution, so it took a while to buy a copy of this). The good news is that this album completely lives up to every expectation I had. From start to finish, it is one of the most fun records imaginable.

For newcomers to the band, Stallion’s music is driven by classic 80s-styled riffs, a high-pitched wailer of a singer, and incredible guitar work. It’s actually a little bit absurd just how crazy Stallion’s frontman gets with his vocals. Of course, this over-the-top approach is exactly what makes the band so great. Whether they’re raging at full speed like in the aptly named “Wild Stallions”, or rocking out hard on the title track or “Streets of Sin”, Stallion always gives you absolutely everything they have. Their metalness shines through most on “Stigmatized”, which has some pretty strong words about being true to metal and yourself. This song is followed up by one of the most technical tracks on the record: “Canadian Steele”, which references a number of my favourite hometown bands (and other great Canadian talent).

The second half of the record definitely is not as strong as the first half. It’s not that any of the last 5 tracks are bad or sound out of place, but the first 5 songs rock so hard that it’s pretty much impossible to follow them. This is one of only two minor complaints I have about this record. My second issue with the album is that they re-recorded “Canadian Steele”, but not “Give It To Me”. Both songs are absolutely essential, and the latter ranks among my favourite songs ever. Nevertheless, that’s really just an excuse to seek out their other material. “Rise and Ride” stands on its own as one of the great releases from all of the newer traditional heavy metal and speed metal bands, and despite my own bias towards bands from the Toronto scene, it’s easy to say that Stallion is up there with those genre giants.   

Be sure to check out and like Stallion on Facebook!

Highlights

"Rise and Ride"

"Wild Stallions"

"Streets of Sin"

"Canadian Steele"

Final Rating

4.6/5 or 92%. 

Written by Scott